The Doctrine and Covenants

Section 43

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, in February 1831. At this time some members of the Church were disturbed by people making false claims as revelators. The Prophet inquired of the Lord and received this communication addressed to the elders of the Church. The first part deals with matters of Church polity; the latter part contains a warning that the elders are to give to the nations of the earth.

1–7, Revelations and commandments come only through the one appointed; 8–14, The Saints are sanctified by acting in all holiness before the Lord; 15–22, Elders are sent forth to cry repentance and prepare men for the great day of the Lord; 23–28, The Lord calls upon men by His own voice and through the forces of nature; 29–35, The Millennium and the binding of Satan will come.

1 O hearken, ye elders of my church, and give ear to the words which I shall speak unto you.

2 For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye have received a commandment for a alaw unto my church, through him whom I have appointed unto you to receive commandments and brevelations from my hand.

3 And this ye shall know assuredly—that there is anone other appointed unto you to receive bcommandments and revelations until he be taken, if he cabide in me.

4 But verily, verily, I say unto you, that anone else shall be appointed unto this gift except it be through him; for if it be taken from him he shall not have power except to appoint another in his stead.

5 And this shall be a law unto you, that ye areceive not the bteachings of any that shall come before you as revelations or commandments;

6 And this I give unto you that you may not be adeceived, that you may know they are not of me.

7 For verily I say unto you, that he that is aordained of me shall come in at the bgate and be ordained as I have told you before, to teach those crevelations which you have received and shall receive through him whom I have appointed.

8 And now, behold, I give unto you a acommandment, that when ye are bassembled together ye shall cinstruct and dedify each other, that ye may know ehow to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given.

9 And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be asanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me—

10 That inasmuch as ye do this, glory shall be aadded to the kingdom which ye have received. Inasmuch as ye do it not, it shall be btaken, even that which ye have received.

11 aPurge ye out the biniquity which is among you; sanctify yourselves before me;

12 And if ye desire the glories of the kingdom, aappoint ye my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and uphold him before me by the prayer of faith.

13 And again, I say unto you, that if ye desire the amysteries of the kingdom, provide for him food and raiment, and whatsoever thing he needeth to accomplish the work wherewith I have commanded him;

14 And if ye do it not he shall remain unto them that have received him, that I may reserve unto myself a apurebpeople before me.

15 Again I say, hearken ye elders of my achurch, whom I have appointed: Ye are not sent forth to be btaught, but to cteach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by the power of my dSpirit;

16 And ye are to be ataught from on high. bSanctify yourselves and ye shall be cendowed with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken.

17 Hearken ye, for, behold, the agreatbday of the Lord is nigh at hand.

18 For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter his avoice out of heaven; the heavens shall bshake and the earth shall ctremble, and the dtrump of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to the sleeping nations: Ye saints earise and live; ye sinners fstay and gsleep until I shall call again.

19 Wherefore gird up your loins lest ye be found among the wicked.

20 Lift up your voices and spare not. Call upon the nations to repent, both old and young, both abond and free, saying: Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord;

21 For if I, who am a man, do lift up my voice and call upon you to repent, and ye ahate me, what will ye say when the bday cometh when the cthunders shall utter their voices from the ends of the earth, speaking to the ears of all that live, saying—Repent, and prepare for the great day of the Lord?

22 Yea, and again, when the alightnings shall streak forth from the east unto the west, and shall utter forth their voices unto all that live, and make the ears of all tingle that hear, saying these words—Repent ye, for the great day of the Lord is come?

23 And again, the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven, saying: Hearken, O ye nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who amade you.

24 O, ye nations of the earth, how often would I have gathered you together as a ahen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye bwould not!

25 How oft have I acalled upon you by the mouth of my bservants, and by the cministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of dthunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of efamines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a ftrump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of gmercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the hriches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an ieverlasting salvation, but ye would not!

26 Behold, the day has come, when the acup of the bwrath of mine indignation is full.

27 Behold, verily I say unto you, that these are the words of the Lord your God.

28 Wherefore, labor ye, alabor ye in my vineyard for the last time—for the last time call upon the inhabitants of the earth.